In recent years shaving razors with various numbers of blades have been proposed in the patent literature and commercialized, as described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,586, which generally describes a type of design that has been commercialized as the three-bladed Mach III razor by The Gillette Company. The blades of the Mach III razor are secured to a cartridge housing using aluminum clips. The clips extend over the blades and about the periphery of the housing. The blades are welded to stainless steel blade supports, which provide the blades with lateral support and which have ends that are retained by the clips, holding the blades securely in place in the cartridge.
The aluminum clips tend to function as the anode (preferentially corroded part) in the galvanic couple formed by the clips and blades/supports, thereby inhibiting corrosion of the steel blades and blade support. Thus, if the shaving razor is exposed to corrosive conditions, the clips will corrode and the shaving blades and trimming blade will function as a cathode that is protected from corrosion. This sacrificial function of the clips is advantageous because corrosion of the cutting edges of the blades could pose a safety hazard to the user, while corrosion of the clips will be aesthetically unattractive and will most likely prompt the user to discard the cartridge before further damage can take place. However, under some conditions corrosion of the blades and/or supports may still occur, for example if there is insufficient contact between the blades and clip. Moreover, it would be advantageous to be able to eliminate the aluminum clips in some cartridge designs.